Nobody Will Do It For You - The Story of #DIY (Part 1: 2015 to Mid-2016)

DIY. One of the absolute best slow-burning storylines in modern wrestling history. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa went from two guys competing in the 2015 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic without so much as a permanent contract. Yet somehow, they captured the hearts of the audience, riding a wave of momentum that saw them reach the pinnacle of the tag team division. We see small cracks in the partnership even before they won championships. It all leads to an explosive split, leading to the most intense, emotionally driven match series in WWE (and arguably wrestling as a whole) in a decade.

Now, nearly 5 years after they first teamed together in WWE, the story is seemingly over. With so many layers and so much meaning behind everything that has happened, it only seems right to break down as many elements as possible to allow everyone to understand the sheer brilliance of this iconic story arc.

The Beginnings

Both Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa were veterans of the independent scene, with Ciampa competing for the likes of ROH, PWG, BEYOND and Chaotic Wrestling; and Gargano competing in EVOLVE, Dragon Gate USA, PWG and Chikara. They had faced each other 4 times before - once in PWG, once in AAW, once in ESW and once in SWE - Gargano led the series at 2-0-1

The pair were participants in the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, defeating Tyler Breeze and Bull Dempsey in the first round before losing to Rhyno and Baron Corbin in the semi-finals which aired in mid-September 2015. Their performances in the tournament, despite lasting a grand total of 14 minutes and 34 seconds, began their road to full-time NXT contracts. After a losing effort against American Alpha, the pair left NXT for a few months but carried on teaming occasionally on the independent circuit. They made their return in February of 2016, in a match against The Revival at a live event (which they lost).

The First Encounter - 2016 Cruiserweight Classic, Episode 4

By June of 2016, both Gargano and Ciampa had signed with NXT and were entered into the Cruiserweight Classic - a bracket which saw them lined up to compete in the first round. This was the first time we saw the inner turmoil in Ciampa and the first major chance for a DIY split to happen.

We begin with the hype video before the match begins. Gargano says that sometimes you fight family harder than you fight anyone else, while Ciampa emphasises how he doesn't hit to injure. He doesn't want to injure his friend, but he doesn't want to lose and give away his opportunity at potential glory.

The backstage confrontation between the two provides some fantastic foreshadowing. Ciampa mentions that all he ever hears is "Johnny Wrestling", and tonight he's going to be the one to hurt Johnny. This is an excellent insight into a future that saw Ciampa driven mad by the chants of Johnny Wrestling, a future that saw the actions of The Psycho Killer influence Gargano more than anyone else had or has since.

The match begins, and we see the two men shake hands. But not as quickly as many would've expected them to. After all, a handshake is a sign of respect and, in this case, friendship. Could the two men really call themselves friends, knowing what they were about to do to one another?

The match begins with a takedown by Gargano, followed by a counter-for-counter exchange, with neither man able to get an advantage for the first few minutes. Gargano eventually breaks the deadlock, grabbing a hold of the arm and maneuvering into a wristlock. Ciampa escapes with a brutal back elbow, visibly sending spit flying out of Johnny's mouth. Here we see the first glimpse into Ciampa's mind, and how he plans to hurt his partner.

Ciampa follows up with a knee to the face, sending his opponent to the outside. He briefly sits and savours his handiwork, looking down on his friend and allowing some respite before continuing the brutal onslaught. He sends Johnny into the barricade, chops his chest and mocks the crowd, sarcastically shouting "Johnny Wrestling!". it becomes apparent that Ciampa will likely be the one to end the team.

The barrage of offence continues, with Ciampa hitting a devastating running knee on a prone Gargano (who is laying on the apron) before getting a 2-count from a pinfall attempt.

The match continues, and it is clear that Gargano is the weaker competitor. Multiple strikes from Johnny leave Ciampa unfazed, but one from the Sicilian Psychopath leaves him rocking. He uses his speed to get out of bad situations and acts out of desperation in some cases. It's only a matter of time before his luck runs out and he gets hurt.

Johnny sees an opening a few minutes later. He goes for his slingshot spear. This is his chance. But Ciampa knows what is coming - they are tag partners, after all. They've travelled the world together, teamed together. Gargano gets hit with a knee to the face and just drops to the floor. But he still kicks out of the pin.

Ciampa begins to become overconfident. He knows his offence is having the desired effect. He knows he's close to victory and savours the moment. Johnny gives a few weak strikes as his opponent stands over him, smiling sadistically. Both men go out onto the apron, with Ciampa hitting the move that would become synonymous with him in the future - the Air Raid Crash. But it's STILL not enough, and Ciampa flies into a shock-fuelled rage.

He pulls his knee pad down, leaving no protection. An outstanding camera shot shows Ciampa about to deliver the killing blow to an unaware Gargano. But Johnny turns, and Ciampa stops. He can't do this. Not to his friend. This is too much. He pulls the knee pad back up.

He hits a brutal lariat, followed up with Project Ciampa (Powerbomb into a Lungblower), and it's still not enough. But Johnny is out of it. He looks exhausted. He can't stand properly. He reaches out to Tommaso, perhaps hoping for some help from his friend like he has had before. He would get nothing of the sort, with Ciampa hitting chops, which become even more aggressive as Johnny gets fired up and asks for more.

And this is where Gargano gains the victory. He has angered Ciampa to the point where he loses all reasoning behind his actions - the one thing that makes him such a dangerous performer. This is all Johnny needs, countering an elbow strike into a takedown, which Ciampa tries to reverse into a Fujiwara Armbar - but by then it's too late. Johnny gets a backslide pin and the victory.

A callback to the beginning of the match is made with Gargano offering the handshake. Only this time, Ciampa temporarily walks away. He doesn't know if he can continue being in the team - the chants of Johnny Wrestling drowned any crowd support that he may have had. Is it worth carrying on, when he just lost a match that he clearly had in the bag? Could he live with himself knowing that he was outsmarted? Yes, he could. After a moment where everyone thought they'd seen the end of the team, Ciampa turns back and accepts the handshake. He knows the better man had won.

The two men sit side by side, having gone through war with each other and coming out with their friendship still intact.

Ciampa did everything right in this match but was manipulated and angered by his partner into acting irrationally. This is a testament to Gargano's ability and shows how well the pair know each other. This is also an important factor in future matches and the character development of both men (which will be covered later in this series).

Next time, we will cover DIY's feud with The Revival over the NXT Tag Team Championships, the loss of the titles to the Authors of Pain; before delving into that ladder match at TakeOver Chicago and the team's explosive split.

I hope this first part has allowed for some understanding of where a lot of key aspects to the later stages of the DIY feud come from. There are also links throughout this article which redirect to the matches that have been mentioned. Part 2 will be released within a two week period of release. All parts will also be available at AllEverythingEntertainment.com.